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 Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:46 am
Inari had spent countless hours on his own now. Away from his siblings, his older brother, even away from his father nad mother Inari was becoming an independent soul with the goal of becoming big and strong. Of becoming a legend, having a name everyone would know, everyone would fear if Inari was an adversary to them.
Each day in the Pridelands when he coul Inari would wander off near the Pridelander borders, always searching for something. Either it was a way to improve himself, or someone to talk to, a friend. He had yet to meet many cubs or lions that would talk to him let alone give him a passing glance.
But he wouldn't give up.
His golden eyes held determination and pride in himself, in what he was and what he hoped to become. But he was far from what he wanted. He wanted to be bigger, stronger, respected, and have friends that liked him for who he was. He wanted someone to show him how to be strong, someone that was other then his father or mother. He knew they loved him, but they ahd to, he was their son. But he also wanted to make them proud by becoming stronger without their help.
So here he was.
A brown lump of fur jumping from stone to stone in the tall outlying grasses of the Pridelands. This was a new thing he was trying, his balance. He was trying to not have his paws come onto contact with the ground. Though a few times he slipped off and fell to the ground with a 'thump.' Standing on one rock he sat back, eyes looking out at the horizon where the sun would set in a few hours. Then he'd have to go home. Today seemed like a boring normal day of 'training,' but Inari felt as if he hadn't accomplished anything today.
He wished he could make this day worthwhile.
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:52 pm
Mrost had been idly watching the other lion for a while now, for a change having no other reason to be here than simple boredom. Well, if he was entirely truthful to himself, he'd come here looking for Eir. The goddess moved around as much as he did and all their meetings were by chance. The very fact he'd come out seeking company meant he was in a much more conversational mood than usual, less agressive.
He'd watched as the lion slipped, fell and kept on going. He'd never understand what drove mortals, though sometimes he felt that just by watching, he might gain a better idea of what did.
He hadn't bothered to conceal his wings, spikes and horns, seeing the only reason to hide them was if the others in the area were a threat, which, he'd gauged, they weren't at this moment. Flicking his tail idly, he decided to break the still, turning his slitted gaze onto Inari and getting lazily to his velvet blue paws.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:10 pm
Inari was still lost in thought, musing over what he had accomplished so far in 'his training' but yet he had found nothing to be proud of yet. How was he going to be strong if he couldn't even improve a lot over the days he tried so hard? Was he doing something wrong? Maybe he wasn't doing something he was supposed to...maybe he was missing a target of what he should be focusing on.
He heard the voice, and at first didn't turn around to see who it was, it was unfamiliar, but somehow Inari felt as if he had heard the voice possibly in a dream he had. That could've been it,
"Training...just training...trying to be strong...its not working though..." Inari said trailing off. Inari name suggested trickery, but how could Inari makes tricks and use them to his advantage if he wasn't strong enough to pull them off?
Slowly Inari turned around, and his golden eyes fell on a figure he had never seen before. Perhaps he was dreaming, this all seemed impossible, such a large and unique figure before his eyes. Was this possible? Inari wasn't afraid, far from that in fact, he was intrigued. Eyes watching the new figure,
"I'm Inari..." he said softly. For some reason Inari felt the urge to lower his head in a slight bow to this lion. He had horns and wings. This was all too much. But Inari believed the wings and horns signified royalty, amongst other things.
"I like your wings...everyone must think you're strong when they first see you, as I do now..." Inari wished that would happen to him when he got older. Perhaps this lion could help. "May I ask for your name ...sir?" he didn't know any other way to address the great winged lion before him. He looked like a god, but Inari had never met a god before, thus didn't know how to address him. But he hoped he made a good impression.
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:21 pm
Mrost sat himself down casually before Inari deemed it time to look round, calm as usual. For a god of war, Mrost often came across as terribly composed, like a large blue housecat in a place where the whole world was a sunny windowledge. Training hinted at latent motivation, for what purpose, he wasn't sure. Lions sought strength for all kinds of reasons, after all, his most loyal follower, Hakan, had sought strength to defend his family.
The desire for strength all too often provided the noose around a lion's neck that the blue god needed.
Inari - he noted the name for the future - was as yet an enigma to him, but at least the respect was there, flattery got you everywhere with Mrost. He was just a personality that when met with confrontation, turned into a lunatic but when happily placated remained somewhat amiable.
He smirked "Smart lions think I'm strong when they meet me. Dead lions challenge me without even trying to talk to me. But yeah, these..." he held out one of his almost-skeletal wings "Are barely regal. Efficient for battle but terrible for flight."
His grin turned toothier. "War. Known to some as Mrost."
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:31 pm
Inari watched Mrost with interest, he seemed to interesting, so strong and wise about everything. He even talked to him! Which meant a lot to Inari considering even his own brothers and sister ran off without him and played together. Thats why Inari came out here, to train and get better. Be stronger then them, to be something great.
"Then a smart lion I will be," Inari said with a smile. Even though he was a child, for some reason he was understanding Mrost's words perfectly. Listening to the rest of Mrost's words, and his introduction, Inari pondered to himself, smiled and flicked his tail,
"Then dead lions do not deserve to be in Mrost's presense, dead lions don't deserve to be strong. Lions that disrepsect Mrost should be dead lions...right?"
It was sort of odd for Inari to speak of dead lions, he hadn't really dealt with death yet, for he was still so young. But still, Mrost seemed so-Inari couldn't find a word for it! It was so unique.
Inari figured the term 'war' Mrost referred to meant Mrost was the god of war. That seemed to neat, though Inari didn't really understand the cause of war or why there even was war. Inari could respect Mrost, no matter what he was.
"Mrost, sir..." Inari said quietly, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear beside the great blue god before him. Inari still referred to him as sir, even with the name given to him (Inari didn't know if there was another word Mrost preferred also).
"Can I ask you a question?" he said quietly, trailing off somewhat. He pawed at the ground before him, trying to think things over, "How can I get stronger? I want to be stronger..."
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:44 pm
Mrost could have purred. Here right in front of him was a lion who seemed both naive and in that uniquely childlike way, a total sycophant. His grin, already somewhat predatory, became more so, the sort of smile the devil would give a hoodwinked soul. "Exactly." he stated "Disrespect usually ends in death. I'm not known for my tolerance of fools and weaklings." He held a paw out, extending black claws like raptor talons to examine briefly. He then looked back to the kid and, licking his lips thoughtfully with his serpentine tongue, said. "Call me Mrost. Only my generals call me sir."
He curled his tail, the spikes and pearls clinking softly. "There are ways to become stronger, there are ways to become everything. However, the paths I offer are rather....extreme. And though the rewards are great, they require total sacrifice of the life that once entwined you. Only the most resolute ever make it through the first tests."
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:54 pm
Inari watched Mrost, eyes falling on his grin and Inari just smiled back at him. Mrost was so weird, but in a good way. His claws...they were so big and sharp! He had to be a great hunter and warrior with claws like those, elt alone his wings that seemed were all too powerful by themselves. Inari nodded at Mrost when he asked him to not call him sir and just Mrost, but Inari wondered how you became a general of such a strong god.
"Well, weaklings shouldn't live should they?" Inari asked. He had a dream about this the other night, his ears twitched sideways as he tried to remember a saying that echoed in his dream, "I heard a saying one night...in a dream...it said "If you're strong you live...if you're weak you die...these are the only known truths in this world...the weak become food for the strong, and the strong live on..." what you say is like the same thing...thats why I want to be strong." Inari puffed his chest out somewhat, trying to look bigger. But he was still so small compared next to Mrost.
Inari listened some more, and wanted to know what these tests were, "What does someone have to do to get strong in your eyes then Mrost? What are the tests?" he was curious, Inari wanted to know.
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 1:37 pm
Mrost nodded, it seemed this lion had the right idea and no stupid moral teachings to get in the way. "Exactly. The weak die, that is the way of things. As for you being strong..." he gave the youngster a critical stare "...you have a very long way to go yet."
He lazily turned that bottomless blue stare back onto Inari's curious expression, the slitted pupils narrowing slightly. Now /here/ was an opportunity he could see. "The tests themselves are far from an exam, life will supply you with most of them, the others I deal out especially, however, they are harsh and I do not tolerate failure. And by the law of my war, those who are weak get killed by me for their flaws. Few pass."
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:11 pm
Inari watched Mrost and he felt like Mrost was looking right through him with his eyes when he was staring at him for a moment. But at least Mrost seemed to approve of the words that had been in his dream. Perhaps Inari wasn't crazy, and those words really did mean something important.
"I'm trying..." Inari said looking to the ground, pawing at the dirt beneath his right paw. He was trying harder and harder everyday, but nhothing seemed to be working. Inari bleieved it was just because he was still too small to accomplish anything. "I'm still too small...thats why isn't it?" Inari questioned, if anyone would know, Mrost seemed to be the one with the answers.
Inari raised his vision to look up at the great god before him and listened about teh tests, life gave them out? Then where were his! Why weren't they coming and giving him teh chance to get stronger...the tests were too slow for Inari's liking. But his spirits perked up when Mrost said he gave out tests as well, though Inari felt nervous with Mrost saying he dealt out death to those who didn't pass and were failures.
Inari didn't want to be a failure.
"What are your tests like Mrost? Would I be good at any of them?" he asked truthfully. Inari had spent time with his family, with his father, trying to hunt, but Inari adn his siblings were still too small. perhaps Mrost's tests were different, easier then other things Inari had to tyr and learn.
But from what Inari had seen from Mrost already, he knew Mrost's tests must be challenging, but were worth while, "I still want to be strong no matter what the test...I want to be strong to be a good son for my dad...be strong so perhaps I can be the one to protect others on day..."
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 3:55 pm
Mrost was never sure why he entertained mortals, why he listened to them and actually made an effort to corrupt them rather than just dispensing with them. It bothered him that he seemed to be nice, to a point when around ones who played by his rules. Still, he could do nothing but observe his nature, not change it and he simply kept his gaze unmoving on Inari.
He stated simply "Yes. Size has a lot to do with it, but that is simply a matter of waiting. It's your mind that you can hone at this stage. The strong learn early to dispense of foolish emotions. Emotions such as sympathy and mercy, things that will stand between them and their goal. In some ways, childhood is the most valuable stage in a creature's life."
He pushed his helmet up his nose with a paw before replying "My tests are simply a guage of courage, strength, personality and obedience, to see if a lion is worthy of being fit to follow me. As for wether you'd be any good at them, that is the purpose of the tests." he smirked.
Laughing darkly he stated "If you think your father is strong, you haven't seen anything yet. There are things out there that will boggle your mind. Protecting others is a decent cause I suppose, though why you should feel the need to defend others too weak to defend themselves is beyond the scope of a god of war."
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:04 pm
Golden eyes peered up at Mrost as he spoke, just watching him, intrigued by everything he said. Stronger lions other then Amari? His own father...he wanted to know. He wanted to see everything, be everything he could. Inari's attention then fell upon that of Mrost's armor, silver and shining. "Do only warriors get that?" he asked quietly, pointing to the silver pieces of metal (Inari wasn't quite sure what to call them).
Listening again to Mrost's words, Inari knew then he wanted a test. To see if he was good enough for anything, to see if perhaps what he was doing was working. Though the child felt sort of hurt, the expression of his ears falling back hinted at that, when Mrost said the cause of protecting others weaker wasn't good in his eyes.
"But what if you care about them?" he asked Mrost, truth in his voice, Inari thought of how his father seemed to watch over his brothers and sister, and his mother, "What if it was to protect your family? Someone you love...like my dad protecting my mom? Is that a better cause?"
Inari wanted to set some goal for himself, and wanted it to be worth it. Mrost was having him open up his eyes to different things, thigns he wanted to learn and create and do.
"What is the first test Mrost?"
Perhaps Inari could become better by passing a test...maybe.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:28 pm
The blue god seemed restless, getting to his feet and pacing once or twice, his armour clanking, at Inari's question he glanced at his armour. "No. True warriors have no need for it. In my case it's both ceremonial and a..failsafe of sorts, a one-up in familial disputes." he grinned, realising again that it was unusual to mortals, something he often forgot. "It's called armour and no lion's claws can penetrate it." He ignored any hurt Inari displayed at his comments, Mrost cared little for emotions, they were just another weakness, another thing that needed to be beaten out of his soldiers over time. Just a hurdle.
"If you care about them then protect them or die trying. No one will ever stop you. Though as I've told others, family is a double edged sword, they can be your downfall, and to make that clear I warn would-be warriors that, should they seek my guidance and aid that from the moment they start the task, their families lives are the wager. Power comes with a price tag, follow me then stray from the path of battle and I /will/ come for the ones you love."
He looked malicious for a moment then, a creature not of this world, unnatural and older than he let on. "The first test is not given until I have the word of the would-be warrior, I'm afraid."
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:41 pm
Armor was strange, warriors didn't need it, but Mrost did..wait, Inari's brian stopped with the critical thoughts upon it, he forgot; Mrost was a God. Mrost could have anything he wanted, least thats how Inari thought of it.
When Mrost began to speak of family, protecting them or die trying, it scared Inari for a moment, but then the cub realized, to protect the one you love, something greater sometimes had to be exchanged...right?
"So if I wanted to protect them...then the risk of sarcrificing my life for theirs would be worthy, right?" Perhaps thats what Mrost meant...things could get so confusing! But Inari was trying his hardest to keep up and understand everything he could.
"Would-be warrior?"
What was a would-be warrior, how would Inari know if he was one? Did he have to be older or something, stronger? Bigger? Faster? Everything was still confusing, but Inari didn't want to push this whole thing aside, it was starting to mean something to him. Hit him on the head of what he should be thinking about adn not just dreaming about.
So far he had learned;
-strength is power, mind and body
-to betray a god was a VERY bad idea
-protection wasn't just something that happened, it was something you had to strive for
-sometimes, sacrifice of life must be made to insure the lives of others more important
If he had learned those, then was he a would be warrior? Or perhaps he was mis-interpreting. Hmmph. Why couldn't he just understand? He wanted to be strong, just like a warrior...he really did.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:51 pm
Mrost had to remind himself that he was talking to a cub, that not all lions were the exception that his high priest, Hakan had been. He had been a rogue, alone in the world with his family as his only lifeline, it was different. He was now talking to a significantly younger pridal cub. Simplification was in order. He checked himself.
"That is something every lion decides, what is more important to them, the lives of the ones they love, or their own. It is one you will have to ask yourself eventually."
A brief nod and he went on. "A would-be-warrior, yes. A lion who wants the strength and power to protect their loved ones or to protect themselves and is willing to gamble all they have on it."
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:58 pm
He nodded as Mrost spoke, he was understanding better now. Things were so confusing when he was this small, he would get bigger and have a greater understanding of what he had learned from Mrost when he got older and understood it then. Perhpas then he would be a good-enough would-be warrior, old enough to know what Mrost meant, and act upon it if he decided too.
Mrost seemed to know a lot, and was wise, Inari was making sure to commit this memory to stay fresh in his mind. She he could muse upon it, and learn from it.
"Mrost, so if I got bigger, and understood better, and came to find you, maybe then would I be a good enough would-be warrior?"
He knew he'd have to see what that brought, if Inari had to leave the pridelands to follow in anything Mrost said, or if he could stay here and act as some sort of warrior or something to Mrost. A spy maybe? So many thoughts, so much time in the future to see what would happen.
Inari definitely wanted to be a warrior, that he knew now, thanks to Mrost's words of course.
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